Single neutral pion production by charged-current $\bar{\nu}_\mu$ interactions on hydrocarbon at $\langle E_\nu \rangle = $ 3.6 GeV

TL;DR

This paper presents the first measurement of neutral pion production in muon antineutrino charged-current interactions on hydrocarbon, providing data to improve nuclear interaction models relevant for neutrino oscillation experiments.

Contribution

It reports the first measurement of $c0^0$ kinematics in this process, constraining models of neutral pion production in nuclei.

Findings

Differential cross sections for $c0^0$ momentum and angle are measured.

Results are compared to theoretical model predictions.

Data helps reduce background uncertainties in neutrino oscillation studies.

Abstract

Single neutral pion production via muon antineutrino charged-current interactions in plastic scintillator (CH) is studied using the \minerva detector exposed to the NuMI low-energy, wideband antineutrino beam at Fermilab. Measurement of this process constrains models of neutral pion production in nuclei, which is important because the neutral-current analog is a background for $\bar{\nu}_e$ appearance oscillation experiments. The differential cross sections for $\pi^0$ momentum and production angle, for events with a single observed $\pi^0$ and no charged pions, are presented and compared to model predictions. These results comprise the first measurement of the $\pi^0$ kinematics for this process.